The Secrets We Keep
by Chaed
Summary: [Durza x Arya] We all know of Arya's imprisonment in Gil'ead... do we really? For everyone who always wanted to see our favourite elf suffer, this is the story you've been looking for.
1. A Forest Ablaze

**Hello there! Yeah right… just read on. O.o**

**Disclaimer: You know, I own a lot of things – mostly unneccessary stuff though – but Eragon doesn't belong to it.**

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Chapter 1

The hoofbeats sounded dully against earthy forest ground. Three white sturdy horses galloped between the high trees, carrying their elven riders and most likely their only chance against the empire through Du Weldenvarden.

She held on to the sapphire like stone wrapped in a woolen cloth and every few seconds her eyes left the way in front of them and remained locked on her prescious freight, as if to check if it was still there and unscatched.

Beside her rode her two loyal companions Faolin and Glenwing. She glanced over to Faolin, and as if having sensed her observation their eyes met and she was given a reassuring smile.

They had reached the familiar grounds of Du Weldenvarden not two hours ago and the horses were giving their best to reach Ellesmera as swift as their legs allowed it.

Arya knew that she shouldn't praise the day before sunset, but the closeness of home provided her with more certainty that they would reach their destination without hindrances.

It was true that Galbatorix had intensified controls lately, but they had been able to carry the egg from the elves to the Vaarden and back again for as long as she had been charged with this position.

Glenwing suddenly led his horse closer to her and said quietly: "The way will tighten up ahead. We should form a line."

She nodded determined, and Glenwing understood it as a sign to take the first position. He urged his horse forward and gripped the spear harder, pointing it forward so he held it horizontal to the ground, ready to strike any possible enemy.

Arya's horse settled in the middle, while Faolin restrained his own mount and brought up the rear.

The path they now were on was just as wide for the horses to find hold on; the trees on both sides were so thick building uncrossable walls.

The wind suddenly turned from following- to headwind, and as soon as it did so all three elves froze on their horses, and even the animals took in the new presenses with trepidation:

Urgals.

Without hesitation the three companions kicked their horses into a mad run, knowing all too well that no matter how many beasts there were, be it a trap or just coincidence, the egg could under no circumstances be endangered.

The way widened as suddently as it had tightened and Arya surged forward leaving the two elves, even though unwillingly, behind.

And not a second too late. As soon as she was out of range a volley of arrows darkened the sky and found a mark in sweat elven flesh. She couldn't but wince at the screams of her friends, but didn't dare to look back.

Faolin would have wanted her to conclude their mission.

Suddenly she heard someone scream from behind and her eyes widened as she recognized the words of a spell. It caught both her and her horse off guard, and the animal went tumbling to the ground.

The elf maiden pulled her feet out of the stirrups so as not to be trapped under the horse when it fell and –more out of luck than anything else- landed on her feet, the woolen cloth still in her hand. For the first time she dared to look back and at the sight instinctively pulled out her sword, before turning around and starting a mad sprint away.

Away from numerous Urgals who, after bothering with her fallen comrades, dedicated all attention to her. And away from the creature she had hoped would only be part of her darkest nightmares: the Shade.

Pressing the dragon egg closer to her body she darted across the forest, neatly zig-zagging through the trees in order to bring more distance between herself and her followers. She knew the forest better than them, she could trick them, she could...

The scent of burnt wood entered her nostrils and with a sudden foreboding she turned around, despairing even more when she laid eyes upon the Shade's new work.

Fire…

Fire everywhere! The Shade was trying to catch her in a ring of fire... but he couldn't get to the egg. She wouldn't let him.

In her desperation Arya had not noticed three Urgals sneaking up behind her. With new determination overpowering her fear, the elf didn't even give the Urgals the opportunity of attacking. She made sure to have the egg embraced securely before charging her attackers. The first beast lost its head before it even realized what was going on. Its two companions grinned warily and parried her first attacks.

It didn't take long to deal one of them a fatal blow and knock the other unconscious. If she wanted to be successful she couldn't take _long_ anyway. There wasn't any time. The rest of Urgals had nearly canceled out her head start and the Shade eagerly set the forest around her aflame.

Elven speed helped her increase the distance again and she ran into the direction of the big rocks. By leaving the path she might be able to reduce her tracks and harden it for the Urgals to follow her.

Before her suddenly appeared the Shade, having jumped down good twenty feet from the rocks. As she stopped dead in her tracks, he only gave her a satisfied smirk.

Turning around in an instant Arya realized that she couldn't run back. Urgals came from all directions, her helplessness mirroring on their smug expressions.

"Get her."

The Shade's icy voice pierced through the silence like a deadly arrow finding its mark. It sent a shiver down her spine, and exactly that inspired Arya to a last desperate act.

Grabbing the blue sapphire, the woolen cloth carelessly fell to the floor. She held up the egg as if to ask for the Gods' help and frantically whispered old words, letting all energy flow into the spell.

As the Shade realized what she had in mind he desperately cried out: "_Garjzla_!"

A red gleaming fireball left his hand and flew into her direction with lightning speed. But it was to no avail. Before his attack succeeded the elf finished her spell and he thought to recognize relief on her features.

Then the fireball struck and pain bereaved her expression of all else.

Boiling with rage the Shade turned his attention to the Urgals, who were just standing there schocked of the sudden happenings and too dense to understand what was going on.

With an infuriated scream the Shade threw his sword away and went over to the elf. On the way he stopped, lost in thoughts for a moment, and then looked at the Urgals. His lips formed quiet words and the beasts fell to the ground in silent agony, death awaiting to embrace them.

"You have outlived your purpose."

Urgals had always been more of a hindrance than a help to him. They were brainless, slow, and in his opinion only average fighters. He would have never taken them with him in the first place if it wouldn't have been for Galbatorix insisting on it.

His eyes drifted back to the unconscious woman in front of him and suddenly the hate boiled even stronger within him than before. He should have thought of it before. Should have blocked her mind, should have attacked her immediately.

Now the egg was gone and he had no means of knowing where she had transported it to.

He called his horse, retrieved his sword from where he had thrown it in his madness, and with a last look at his new captive hoisted her into his arms.

She was very light, seemed nearly fragile. It had been a long time since he had laid his hands on an elf, an even longer time for the elf to be alive.

Putting her on the saddle infront of him, he mounted his horse and rode out of the forest. He only extinguished the fires in his way.

The others he would leave to burn.

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**So uhm…. I can't really remember if Arya was on the way to the Varden or back home, and frankly I was too lazy to research it. Anyway, because everyone wants to get to the later chapters, we'll just forget such little details, right?**

**Do you see that little button there in the left corner. It'd make my day if you clicked it.** (A note to flamers: Feel free.)


	2. Introductions

**Yay! Here we go again… take this as a prelude to the interesting stuff. :D**

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Chapter 2

She woke up dazed and disorientated. Her hands were bound behind her back by a harsh rope and it was dark. Someone had deposited her on the ground. Turning from her uncomfortable position Arya tried to sit.

Suddenly the memories came flooding back to her mind. The Trap. Faolin and Glenwing. The egg – it had to be… had she managed?…she had to-

Before she could bring an end to the overwhelming thoughts, she felt that icy stare bore into her back and what had happened to the egg was suddenly of no importance anymore. Turning around cautiously, she now faced a fire, the warmth of the flames feeling soothing against her skin. On the other side on a fallen tree sat her captor, observing her every move intently. The soothing feeling the flames left on her not a minute ago had transformed into a low burning. His eyes now locked with hers, the red orbs burning into her devouring what little she had left of her dignity, she had to throw even that little part away and broke the contact first.

"You would have awakened sooner or later anyway."

Arya didn't know how to interpretate his sentence. She didn't know whether to answer or not, what to say if she did so, or if it was even smart to play the all too forward elf. She decided it was not. Silence was golden. He couldn't blame her for nothing she had never said.

The rope rubbed against her skin as she accomodated herself, and Arya went for a half-hearted attempt to wriggle her hands free.

"You will not succeed." her captor flatly pointed out.

_As if I hadn't know...,_ she remarked silently.

The Shade's constant stare irritated Arya. Why was he looking at her all the time? Hadn't he observed her long enough during the trap? During the time after he had attacked her, hauled her onto his horse and had been in full control of her unconsious form?

She wanted to ignore him. His matter-of-fact tone annoyed her. The situation frustrated her. But the fact that she was here and not dead… relieved her, even if in a very uncomfortable way.

He wouldn't have kept her alive if not for the knowledge of the location of the egg. So she had succeeded – at least in that.

With the reassuring thought lingering in the back of her mind Arya took in their surroundings. They were not in Du Weldenvarden anymore, not anywhere near it in fact. The high trees of her home had instead transformed into grasy plains that dragged on for as long as she could see.

He must be taking her away. To Urû'baen. To Galbatorix…

As soon as that consideration had caused enough displeasure and she had thought of possible outcomes, which were inevitably all leading to her downfall in one way or the other, Arya dared to look at the Shade once more, defiance marking her features. She would not give in, no matter what awaited her. For the Varden. For the elves. For her fallen comrades who had given their life to prolong hers.

"Tomorrow we reach Gil'ead." He spoke as if he informed an old friend and companion of their future journey. "There is a mighty fortress in the midst of its city. You will be my guest for…" he pondered in search of the right word, before he grinned at her revealing his sharp teeth, "…for the next time."

He paused a bit before continuing.

"However, if you tell me of the egg's location now -- without further implications like whips and clubs and other common torture devices -- you may go."

As easy as he made it sound, she knew that the offer and the chance to escape all future torment, would be withdrawn as soon as the Shade knew the of the sapphire's whereabouts. How was he even daring to think that she would be so foolish and believe him? Did he really think her that incautious? That senseless?

She was not.

She was not. She was strong enough now, and she would be strong enough to endure whatever he had in mind for her. If it must be, she would take the secret with her and share it with her dead companions when it was time, laughing about the Shade and how he hadn't succeeded in getting one single elf to talk.

"Your arrogance will get you nowhere." the Shade concluded as her answer remained silence. She noticed the change in his voice, among the cool, uncaring tone there was brewing annoyance, irritation even.

Arya braced for an attack, a sign that he would not tolerate her behaviour – but none came.

The Shade had resumed his position as a silent observer of her every move, of her every _thought_ it seemed to her. She made sure the barrier around her mind was as strong as she could afford before facing her captor again.

"What is your name?" he wanted to know and the traces of anger were gone from his voice again. The shadows of the flames danced on his face and made him look even more dangerous.

Arya stared into his fiery eyes, but her lips formed a tight line.

Her demeanor impressed him only little. He left his sitting position and came to her. Muscles tensing, Arya knew she wouldn't be able to do anything against whatever he had planned and realized that as golden as silence could be, it would only lead to her ruin in this case. Instead of attacking her though, the Shade knelt before her, his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath upon her skin.

Her obvious annoyance only seemed to amuse him. He pulled back just a little and said:

"You will talk sooner or later. Defiance is something that dimishes very quickly." He extended a hand towards her and his white, palid fingers left a cold trace upon her soft cheek, moving down her neck and going deeper still.

"My name is Durza."

his touch made her shiver inwardly.

"Remember that name. You will dread upon hearing it."

No sooner than he was finished, she suddenly felt a wave of burning energy errupting from his fingers, enclosing her whole body into a mist of blackness that was so thick she thought she would suffocate.

**

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As for the people who already reviewed…my personal thanks: **

**Vixen Hood- **_My first review for this story. Thanks a lot!_

**xxSamuraiXxx- g **_Even if I wanted to, it can no way be Eragon/Arya for a simple reason: She doesn't even know he exists yet:P Later perhaps _

**blackrose305- **_Oh yes, I have quite some things in store for the Arya/Durza part…_

**guillotine.exe- **_You indeed started the trend. It was after I read your story that this idea came to my mind. Thank you for that!_

**BobMcBobinton- **_If you want to read a brilliant Arya/Durza story check out guillotine.exe's one. Or just stick around here, this one will eventually get to the couple too! _

**Greekfire – **_We'll see, we'll see, I have quite something in store for this special elf lady…_


	3. Fell Clutch Of Circumstance

**There you go, number three. We're just about to begin with the fun…

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Chapter 3 

_One slip and down the hole we fall,  
it seems to take no time at all.  
-Pink Floyd_

The first thing she felt was coldness. Silence overshadowed every other sound. As she opened her eyes she was greeted by darkness. But it was not the same darkness as when she had awoken by the fire; this time it was a cold and damp darkness and the walls around her allowed no moonlight to shed any light on the situation.

Arya couldn't make out much, but she could say for sure that it was a cell. So Durza had indeed brought her to Gil'ead how he had promised. One hand absently touched the place the energy had earlier bolted through and the elf wondered how she could have been so ignorant to the Shade's attack. She should have realized it earlier, but his sudden approach had left her mind incapable to resume work for a moment, fear having held her captive.

To her relief she realized that she was not chained in any way. While massaging her sore wrists Arya pondered the possibilities.

It could mean two things. Either Durza had underestimated her and thought chains were unneccessary, or he had thought chains were unneccessary because there was no way to escape. The better part of her went with the second option.

Since there apparently was no welcoming ceremony, Arya slowly groped her way through the cell, estimating its approximate extent and the location of the steel-reinforced door. There were no windows, which made it impossible to guess where exactly she was. She could be in Gil'ead, but just aswell in Urû'baen or in an abandoned prison somewhere on the edge of the map, only Durza knowing its exact location with her being at his total mercy.

_But I am - no matter where – at his mercy_, her mind corrected her. She wanted to banish such negative thoughts. They did nothing but create unneccessary fear. It was enough to deal with the already existing one.

For the moment Arya returned to the corner where she woke up. It harboured some straw, just enough so she wouldn't suffer from the coldness of the stone beneath. Settling in a sitting position against the wall, knees drawn up to provide more warmth, Arya sighed and rested her head on her knees.

How long had she been in here already? How long had she been unconscious all together? Durza could have kept her immobile for as long as he had wanted. Days, weeks, a month even? It depended on her whereabouts. If she was in Gil'ead, then she doubted it was a month; Urû'baen could be even longer, and if she was on the edge of the map, Arya contemplated with a dry smile, it might aswell be eternity until someone found her starved corpse in a dusty prison.

Then it occurred to her and she cursed herself for not thinking of it earlier. Sitting around and musing of her whereabouts wasn't going to bring her any further.

But magic was going to do the trick.

The effort of transporting the egg away and Durza's spells still affected her, so Arya would try with an easy one first. Like Light. Yes, light sounded wonderful. She could feel new eagerness and hope flickering in the dark, just as the little flame would, which she was about to create.

Whispering the required words for the spell and imagining a lightened cell, Arya winced at a sudden erruption of pain between the eyes, forcing her to cancel.

She was perplexed for a moment, both of the pain and the speed it had gone away again with.

Massaging her temples Arya tried again – with the same result. As soon as she was about to execute the spell, her mind would clash against a spiked wall, forcing her to retreat. It was, as if she was caught within herself.

With a hint of desperation in her eyes, the elf checked that the barrier around her mind was still upstanding. It was.

But the magic- why couldn't she-

Then it deemed upon her.

Durza.

And with the thought of Durza there also came the feeling of rage. And despair. A dozen possibilities came to her mind how he could have blocked her from her magical resources. A spell, drugs,… how was she to fight magic without magic?

As hopeful as she had thought of her situation before, with each second passing and each endeavor dejected, a flight seemed more and more unachivable.

It was then that she heard the shriek of the door as somebody forcefully opened it, and Arya had to shield her eyes from the sudden light. She could however distinguish a single form in the doorstep and with hopelessness overpowering her rational thoughts she charged the intruder with elven speed, trying to land a kick to his stomach.

She only felt the air knocked out of her lungs as she impacted against the back wall again, still being kept down by his spell.

Arm outstretched and the elf at his mercy, Durza approached his new captive.

"It seems to me," he said, mustering her, "that defiance is still burning within you." As he suddenly clenched his fist, Arya lifted her hands to her neck, trying to make away with the invisible pressure.

"It also seems to me,"…she couldn't get any air… "that in your current state a composed discussion is not possible."

The pressure was suddenly gone. Arya slumped back against the cold wall, hands around her neck as if to prevent further assaults, even though she knew that without magic she would not be able to.

Then the Shade turned around and left the room again.

"Bring her into my chambers," she heard him uttering, and two soldiers, armed with shield and sword entered the pit, two others with spears blocked the exit. Durza was gone.

Jumping to her feet, new energy pumping through her veins, Arya pressed against the wall at first, when two of the guards advanced a step, her mind forming a makeshift plan.

When the first drew his sword with one hand and tried to impress her by dangling a pair of handcuffs from the other, she saw an opportunity to strike. Apparently the guards had underestimated her – had obviously again compared her to one of those weak, helpless women of men – and when she landed a well placed kick to the man's stomach, the others stared a moment in awe.

It was exactly that moment she needed to pick up the first's sword, battering it against the second's shield right after. With new hope flickering, Arya divided her attention on the four soldiers, elven agility helping her to gracefully parry the attacks.

What energy she had thought lost just a moment ago, a sudden adrenaline burst brought back. She had managed to succesfully set one of the shield bearers out cold; the only real problem she faced was not the remaining direct attacker – the other one with the sword – but rather the two who wielded the spears: Every time the swordsman would show inferiority to her, his two companions advanced and would keep her at bay with their spears.

But it wasn't something a hundred-year old elf wouldn't manage.

Just as she was setting out for the finishing blow for the swordsman, though, her mind was suddenly assaulted by an immense force, shattering her defences in almost an instant, if she hadn't directed what remaining power she had onto her barrier.

It was that little distraction that the guards needed. One shield impacted hard with her head, sending her tumbling against the wall, mind drowsy and spinning for a moment. Before she could get up again, she was turned onto her stomach, one of the men settling on top of her in order to prevent her from rising. Two spears where pointed towards her head only moments later.

When she tried to wriggle free her arms as the man on top of her was doing his best to handcuff her, there was another outburst of pain in her mind, and Arya had to concentrate hard as not for her defences to be crushed under the pressure.

"Seems we have tamed the lion," the man on top of her concluded and snickered, soon being joined by the other guards in the mockery. The weight lifted from her and she was ruthlessly pulled to her feet. One of the guards held something wrapped in a woolen cloth in his hand, waving it through the air and finally pointing it into her direction.

"The master said you'd favour his little present. Here, let me show you." He gave his spear to his companion – who still pointed it into her direction – and unwrapped the 'present'.

It was plain. Dirty. Abhorrent. Just as she had always imagined an iron collar to be. _Oh, he must have misjudged me greatly, _she thought sarcastically, disdain showing on her face.

When the man advanced, collar in hand, she was determined _not_ to let him put it on. Her hands restrained by the steel handcuffs and one of the soldiers holding her from behind, Arya felt all her muscles tensing, and then, in the crucial second placed a well aimed kick to the man's groin.

He yelled in pain, the collar forgotten and the room was suddenly filled with curses.

Her triumph was only shortlived, as she felt another blow against her head from behind and her vision became blurry, legs suddenly refusing to bear her weight anymore. She sagged against the guard behind her, biting back tears at her own helplessness, before her mind refused to undergo anymore harm, and painted the world a dark shade of black.

"Put it on now." the man holding the unconsious elf instructed.

"Forget it, Samm. I won't go anywhere near this beast. God knows what she'll do to me. Should the master put it on himself. After this I'll want to have children still."

Samm grumbled under his breath, but then agreed with a nod. "Go see after Wilond. She's knocked him out cold pretty early in the round."

To the remaining soldier he said, "And you come help me. This has taken far too long. Bring this pointy ear where she's supposed to be and then the evening off, now how about that?"

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**Geez, this chapter turned out too long for me. And even with the numerous revamps it underwent, I still can't say I'm overly pleased with it…must be because I'm suffering of severe writers block right now . **

**The biggest problem was working around the even-the-weakest-elf-could-beat-any-human-thing. And Arya isn't even _that_ weak at the moment! Blame Paolini for literally making his elves invincible…**

**I'm also desperately trying to find out the difference between magic and… well the mind-thing. You know that sometime in the book when they're at the Varden already, Arya tells Eragon that she was nearly raped during her capture (we'll get to that too eventually) and that she assaulted everyone's mind who tried to approach her. Now in my eyes that is magic too. Or rather telekinesis. Whatever. So what's the thin line in between I'm apparently not able to see? Anyone care to shed some light on that matter?**

**As for the moment when Arya lunges out at Durza out of frustration... it might seem a bit out of character at first, but considering that she just lost some of her best friends (plus her lover), has lost her only possible escape tool: magic, and is at the total mercy of a psycho... well I think I'd lose it too for a moment **

**Speaking of which…**

**Vixen Hood – **_There you go, update is here! _

**Princess Linnea – **_I'm happy you like it so far! I'm trying my best to picture the Arya/Durzathing in a realistic, not cliché-ey way._

**alsdssg**_ – Happy to hear that you think she was going home, too. You're the second person that backs up my assumption there. and I'm glad I managed to get Durza act like he should._

**BobMcBobinton**_ – There's a lot of new stories poppingg up these days! Check out Liberation by guillotine and Equilibrium by Devil-gurl if you're lusting for more Durza/Arya! _

**Famous4it**_ – Don't worry! No Arya/Durza kisses planned for this story yet. I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible, with Arya being prisoner after all. I'm sure kissing Durza is the last thing she wants at the moment, lol!_

**Imortalis**_ – It is becoming the trend, actually! Everyone is about to write Durza/Arya stories. Eragon is going to be so jealous when he finds out!_

**guillotine.exe -** _LOVING your new story, btw! Durza will get frustrated over many things yet to come... and I dare say it won't end in Arya's favour!_

**Duckweed**_ - Scary, yeah. That's definitely an adjective matching this pairing!_


	4. The Lion's Lair

**Alright guys, there's no way back now. Torture Session 1 is here.**

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Chapter 4

_Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.  
__-Norman Cousins_

Durza was observing.

The regular rise and fall of her chest, the brown strands of hair concealing parts of her face, the rebellion burning in her eyes, as she returned his stare.

She lay upon an iron table, arms and legs held down by gruff leather strings, but as humiliated as she must have been feeling, he could detect none of it in her eyes. They were much more than only emerald in colour, he noticed; he could look at them and lay foot upon the winding path into her soul she had constructed so perfectly, that he would be lost in a labyrinth of guarded secrets the moment he seeked to understand them.

The silence was so heavy that she hissed, "Let me go," and twisted in her bonds.

It was the first time that he had heard her speak… her voice was, despite the tone she had used, so melodic only an elf's could be.It irritated him badly and Durza turned on his heels so the shadows would hide the momentary disgust that marked his features.

The iron door of the pit suddenly shrieked in agony and two bulky men entered the room – perfect to the minute, he had to remark – and bowed their heads in recognition. He only nodded briefly, almost bored and let them set to work.

From behind him he heard the elf turn to get a better view of her fate, but Durza suddenly held no more interest in her. Instead he settled into one corner of the pit, leant against the stony wall and observed the two men's work.

One was attending to the wooden stand beside the iron table, inspecting the objects laid upon it: whips, clubs, axes, nails, the entire assortment. He eventually deiceded for two longer daggers. Their edges were dull already, and they wouldn't fullfill their righteous task anymore -- not that they would be needed for that. Durza had instructed his men exactly beforehand; she was, for the moment, the most precious mine of information the empire had -- be it in the matter of the Varden, or the secrets of the elves' wretched forest. he wasn't leaving the elf to the will of such _primitive_ barbarians.

His eyes swayed to the second man. He was approaching the captive, and Durza thought to see the elf tensing considerably with each step the man neared her. He stopped at her legs and after a moment's thought, grabbed the elf's boots and roughly pulled them off, dropping them to the ground carelessly, exposing her bare feet.

Clearly, she didn't know what he had in mind yet. He saw it in the lack of emotion she displayed. There would have been… fear… anger…uneasyness, some kind of emotion, if she had known what lay before her. But now: blankness; no quirk, no twist. He knew that she was, just like him, seething with anticipation for it to begin, even if perhaps not in the same way…

The first man, a husky fellow with massive shoulders and a beard that might have needed a wash or two to dispose of the filth, came towards Durza, both daggers in his outstretched hand, displaying them to his master. Durza took them, inspected them, felt the roughness of the rusty metal as he let the flat edge of the blade glide over his palm. Holding the knives in his left, he murmured, "_Brisingr_…" and the dirty steel suddenly began to glow a bright red, as if it would have been retrieved from the forge this very moment. He could feel the heat emanating from it.

Giving them back to the soldier, who was ever so careful to touch only the handle, Durza watched him return to his companion and equip him with one of the tools.

Now at the latest the elf knew what would happen to her, perhaps not in every detail but most certainly she had a vague idea, and Durza enjoyed to watch the pit of despair grow within her, as the men approached.

The tension was unconceivable.

And then, as the red blades touched soft elven soles, Durza knew that he had just scratched the surface of his new toy, and instead of trying to repair the damage, his anger would drive him to break away at it until it was no more. But that was just a subliminal thought that was chocked as the sound of her scream filled his ears and Durza thought to enjoy it much more than he had her first repulsive words before.

She must have been suffering immense pain, and still she limited his diversion over her voice to only one single instant. Her back arched each time, and her muscles tensed to the point he thought they would snap every moment, tears washed away the grime of her face and she moaned and twisted as the agony found and infested every corner of her body – but she didn't scream.

And that irked Durza to no end.

So he let his men burn away at her until the scent of scorched flesh filled the room and the elf was soaked with sweat and trembled of exhaustion, until her muscles were too weak to revolt and her voice became so ragged and hoarse that she only whimpered slightly when pain was inflicted upon her. Then he said, "Enough," and watched as the elf closed her eyes in release.

He ordered his men away and instructed them to wait outside the door, before he left the protective shadows of the pit and approached her helpless form. Her breaths were laboured and she trembled slightly, cold sweat mingling with the shed tears on her face. But there it was again: Beneath all exhaustion and distress there was a faint shine of disobedience flickering in the depths of her eyes, as they followed his every move.

Stopping beside her feet, Durza demonstratively grimaced, "It is a shame, really, to harm such beauty. But…"

He traced a finger along her sole, savoring the heat emanating from the torn flesh. It caused the elf significant pain.

"… but it might have changed your attitude concerning my previous question…?"

"Why shed any more tears?" he took a step forward, "Why endure such cruel sufferings?" …lowered his head over hers, " Why all of this, if a single word could free you of it?" There was a glint of exitement in his eye as he awaited her answer.

She spit in his face.

He drew back, wiped it off appalled.

As if they would have known, the two bulky men entered the room again. Without further directions they approached the iron table and began to untie her. She was too weak to struggle against them this time, and when they hoisted her to her feet, she sagged against them feebly, limbs refusing to fulfill their duty after such harsh mishandling.

When he assigned the guards to return her to her lockup, Durza adressed his captive a last time, "Have it _your_ way then."

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**Durza has some _serious_ problems, if you ask me….**

**Anyway, now while some of you might be wondering why I didn't start with the what seems to be the routine raw-whipping in every story, there's a simple solution to it. I won't deny that whipping doesn't hurt, but there are several other more efficient ways to make people talk. Fast. And that's just what Durza wants. You see there are several nerve endings in the foot, and harming that part, in whatever way must hurt immensely. The other option would have been to denail Arya, but I honestly didn't have the heart to do it!**

**Oh, on another note… still searching for a beta. I just can't seem to find those mistakes and I don't have the time and the nerves to go through it until my incompetent eyes see them **

**Reviews (I'm ever so thankful!):**

**guillotine – **_Hm…yes, that would be an explanation, the only problem is that Eragon was only captured for a few days, and Arya's going to be Durza's guest for the duration of some months. Now I'm not an expert on elven anatomy but I doubt they have something like camels to store water in XD (but it's definitely funny to imagine!) Oh well, we'll find a solution in time… and update your story:P_

**alsdssg – **_And that's only the beginning. Just wait until Durza starts to enjoy it more._

**Famous4it – **_There you go, here we have Arya suffering for the first time! There'll be loads of more torture, just wait!_

**Vixen Hood – **_Thanks very much!_

**Azrianiel – **_lol! You're so right, the world certainly needs more Durza/Arya!_


	5. Musings and Demands

Chapter 5

_Between the idea  
And the reality  
Between the motion  
And the act  
Falls the Shadow.  
- T. S. Eliot_

When the spasms came she knew she would surrender to their power. She had tried to resist them at first, tried to retain control over her body and fight to regain it when it would slip away – but as soon as she had realized that fighting cost her more energy than she could award, Arya now tried to think of something else when pain infested her body; to at least protect her psyche from what she wasn't able to shield her body from.

She was lying on the straw, curled up in a ball against the cold, feet tightly pressed against the icy walls. Even if she was freezing, the chill of the stone was numbing the pain to a certain degree. It wouldn't take it away altogether – wouldn't be of any use when she did the smallest of moves and a rush of burning flames would shoot up her body and scatter into her every limb – but it was better than nothing.

The tears had stopped a while ago, but with their leave rational thought had returned to some extent, and she didn't know if she was so grateful of that. She pondered her chances, those of survival, as well as those of being able to guard the secrets so well that pain wouldn't find them when it searched her body. She suddenly remembered every little detail of the books on torture she had read in Ellesmera when she was younger. They had tended to do for good horror stories one would read in the evening and then stay awake all night, in fear of it all coming true.

_It has now_, she thought and wondered if the Shade had ever read those books too.

She remembered Faolin and Glenwing and their last ride as egg couriers; the disturbance in their eyes as they realized it had all been a trap; vivid fantasies of how exactly they could have died – it all clouded her mind. An accurate arrow? Slow and painful? A last resistance against the enemy in abundance?

Faolin had been a proud warrior. He and Glenwing had accompanied her since she had willed to carry the _yawë_ on her shoulder, and devoted her life to a dragon egg which she had carried back and forth, escorted it through every elven village and refuge of the Varden and had witnessed thousands and thousands try their luck and have it hatch for them – without success.

She wondered if it would ever hatch at all, and more importantly, whether it would hatch in the Varden's custody or in Galbatorix's. But it wouldn't fail because of her. Too much was at stake to fail because of her. She wouldn't talk. She wouldn't break promises. She might give him the momentary pleasure to see her suffer, but she would not give him the ultimate victory.

The resoluteness soothed her mind and for a moment urged away the uneasiness, so that Arya sat up, telling herself that whatever punishments he had in store for her, whatever wicked methods he would use to invade her mind, however great the pain would be, she would take gratification in each of his failed attempts and enjoy the look of irritation on his face when she refused to speak. If not for anything else, it would help her to hold on to… _something_.

One hand absently brushed over the blistered skin of her sole, and Arya winced, a grimace distorting her features. At that moment, every thought devoted to her injuries would open the back door for despair to beset her. When the guards had brought her back to her cell and she had regained a somewhat clear consciousness, the first instinctive action had been to heal herself with magic – which had resulted in a massive eruption of pain between her eyes and brought back the conclusion of Durza's magic-inhibitory substance.

She had tried to estimate the extent of the burns, but with no light it had been a, more or less, useless attempt and she doubted there were any medical supplies in the pit for her to make use of. Arya sighed, massaging her temples. _That's definitely going to end in an infection. Definitely…_

But that wasn't even the worst thing. No. Whether intentionally or not, Durza had effectively erased all escape plans. At the moment she couldn't even stand, let alone walk! Running, fleeing, ha! Flight of fancy!

For now she'd wait for her feet to cool down – to stop burning so horribly! – and then she'd cleanse and dress them. She'd turn some strips of her tunic into a makeshift bandage, that shouldn't prove to be a problem.

In the darkness she suddenly happened upon an object to her right. She touched it, tried to imagine its proportions: a boot.

Arya remembered: After disposing of her, the guards had thrown the elf's boots in after her. Slipping back into them would be pure hell, and pulling them off once the infection got too worse– an inferno of pain. _Like it or not, you'll walk around barefoot the next time. Perhaps it'll remind you of home… _

This was not the right time for sarcasm, she rebuked. _Rational thought, that'll get you out of here – not sarcasm. _

And then, all of a sudden, the rusty old door announced new guests before she could even see them. It opened, croaking, and replaced the absolute darkness with blinding light. But she knew who had come without having to see. She could feel his presence by now. It differed greatly from the others. Burning everything in its path, abusive, cruel, and blunt. There were many other adjectives to describe a Shade that basked in every minute of misery inflicted upon his newfound captive.

Her eyes adjusted to the light and she looked up at him, blinking.

"Do you know _Hide and Seek_?" he asked, and something in his voice reminded her of a child eager to play. Behind Durza the doorframe filled with three men; they weren't guards, she could tell from their attire and their build. These men weren't exercised with a sword. No, from the velvet cloaks and the yearning gleam in their eyes they were mages anxious to serve their master's will.

"These young men here love to play it. And I know nobody who can hide their secrets so well as you."

His lips curled into a mischievous smirk and he pointed towards the door, "Shall we?"

* * *

_yawë - a bond of trust. It's a sign/symbol Arya has tatooed on her shoulder._ **

* * *

**

**Finito! And another chapter is done! No real torture this time, but be patient, the story has just begun! A big thank you to Azrianiel and Vyndi, who volunteered to try and beta-read through this chaos. Great job guys, I'd be lost without you!**

**On to the reviews (Keep 'em coming, guys!):**

**_alsdssg_ – Oh yes, racking. That sounds nice and painful g. But I don't think I'll exract either teeth nor fingernails. Paolini put so much work into describing Arya's beauty, so that missing teeth would…err…not look well. And I don't think elves re-grow teeths like sharks, lmao!**

**_Vyndi_ – Man, are you great. An exeptional beta-reader! Hope you'll stick with me until I finish this story!**

**_Adriannrod_ – I'm not. I agree with you completely. Durza certainly used all methods possible to make her talk. Those included.**

**_Blackrose305_ – Why, thank you! Here's your update!**

**_Dark_ _S3cret_ – Wait no more, here's the update! Thanks for the review!**

**_jessclifton_ – Glad that you like the story! I hope I'll be able to keep you hooked for the rest of it!**

**_Azrianiel_ – Your beta-work was cool! Hope I could please you with this chapter!**

**_guillotine_ – Force feeding, hm? That sounds… interesting evil cackle When will we see some continuation of your story:P I can't wait to find out what happens next!**

**_Famous4it_ – That's the right attitude! Stick around, enjoy the story, and make my day by leaving another review!**


	6. Revelations

**Today I went to the cinema and watched Saw 3. I'm quite happy I didn't eat anything before…**

* * *

Chapter 6

_When our actions do not,  
Our fears do make us traitors.  
- Macbeth, William Shakespeare_

He loved to see the strained expression on her face when the mages united their powers and swung at her like a battering ram against the gate of a secure stronghold. He could see the exertion that tore at her when she had to muster all of her defenses to keep the mages lost in the labyrinth that led to her innermost secrets.

In the beginning the elf had scrutinized each and every of them, looking them in the eye, when their attacks recoiled unsuccessfully; she had even glanced at him occasionally. Only brief moments, but they had been full of mockery, almost malicious satisfaction.

_You can't_, her eyes told him, _I won't break. _

And the corner of his lips would curl up into a knowing smile in return. As a warning. _Don't boast, _it meant.

But that was in the beginning. After comprehending that they could not accomplish anything alone, the mages had craned their necks and looked at him in question, and he, who was sitting behind them, as to get a better view of the prisoner, had only nodded in approval, had known their concernment without words.

And since then they would assault her mind with united forces, causing trice the damage, and wearying the elf more than she could conceal. Each time they rammed the gate to her mind it would splinter a bit more. And each time she felt her defenses give way, she'd nail another board to the inside as reinforcement. Though it proved effective, it was a laborious act. Her skin slowly took on a sickly white color and was coated with a thin film of sweat. She'd closed her eyes, no doubt for more concentration. And if he listened closely – very closely – Durza thought to hear the steady laboring of her breaths.

Letting the three mages continue and hack away at her mental defenses would take a while to bring presentable results. And afterwards he'd have to let the elf rest… at least for a day, if she should not lose consciousness after every strike. If she was too weary she'd retreat so far, that Durza would only be left with a lifeless outer form. It made the information… inaccessible. He'd have to keep her thrilled, in some twisted sort of way.

But he knew that to every stronghold, no matter how secure and resistant, there was always a back door – unprotected, vulnerable. It was through this back door that heroes defeated the invincible foe in tales… so why not administer the same tactic in real life?

Durza smiled at the thought and closed his eyes in concentration of finding the way to her mental barriers… and bypass them. He realized that as soon as he laid eyes upon the 'back door', she knew of his whereabouts and schemes and left her position of battling the three mages to defend a corner of her mind that proved to be more vulnerable against the Shade.

In an instant he bumped against a wall robed with barbed wire. _No. Stay out._

But the wall soon flawed as the mages' assaults needed her attention again and she had to distribute her powers into two directions.

As he thrust forward, he provoked another fissure-

_- three elves – out - Not today; we have time. – berries, all sorts; a variety of tastes – Will you take over the first watch, Glenwing? - _

He was catapulted back out of her memories as she noticed his intrusion. He'd just scraped at the outside of her mind. She was too busy fighting him to notice the mages –

_- his hand on her shoulder – warming fire – no - Faolin, I'm tired – the horses needed attention – get out! - the bundle in her hands; safe; she closed her eyes - _

The elf tried to blind them with a wave of energy.

There it was! The information he needed, he could nearly grasp it!

_- Nononogetoutgetout – Does something – outoutoutoutout – you look worried, Arya – don't – We should rest – stopitstopitstopit – the way to Ellesm – OUT!_

The mages gripped their heads in pain, and even Durza grimaced at the extent of pressure she had propelled them out under. Only the elf's labored breaths were heard. Her head had dropped, rested against her shoulder, eyes closed.

Behind him, the door suddenly opened. Five pairs of eyes stared at the newcomer, who, for a moment, was shocked at the unexpected attention. Judging by the look on his face, the servant had finally realized that he had disturbed them at a wrong time.

He hurriedly paced over to Durza and lowered his head in respect, before whispering into the Shade's ear: "Master, the king sends after you. He wishes to speak with you as quickly as possible. He… he said there should be no delays."

Of course there should be no delays. Delay was a word that didn't belong to Galbatorix' vocabulary. Just as pleas, excuses, or even plain disobedience. Durza dismissed the messenger with a wave of his hand before turning back to the three mages and the elf. They were all looking at him expectantly.

"This first interrogation proved useful enough, do you not think so too… _Arya_?" It was the first time he had uttered her name, and to his amusement he found a hint of exasperation in her eyes. Shame, disgust even.

He'd broken through the first of her barriers. What she had kept as secret to herself before, what she had praised and loved, or even despised, what had been in her might to keep or give away, was now his – her identity.

Her name, her friends, her quest and mission; he could all use it against her. In mockery. In humiliation.

In order to retrieve the information.

* * *

**Ta-da! Tell me what you think, be it good or bad. hint That means, review:P **

**Anyway… I hope you liked the way I pictured the mind-fight thing. Personally, I always need something to imagine, I guess I'm a visual type. Yeah, so on another note, I know Durza still acts quite sane and calm, and not so crazy as he's pictured in the books (or in the film shudders) But we'll get to that too, eventually. **

**Ahem, and now on to the reviews (I don't know what I would do without you guys!)**

_**AryaSuxEragonIsMine** – Ha! Cruciatus spells, now that would be something! I'm wondering if Durza ever visited Hogwarts… And don't worry, there's still plenty of torture waiting for her!_

_**Famous4it** – Oh, thank you very much, I feel flattered!_

_**blackrose305** – Here's the update you asked for, I hope you enjoyed it! (Best leave another review and tell me!)_

_**KewlKid** – Hehe, there you go. Hope you like it!_

_**alsdssg** – Yes, you might be right. I'll think about the de-nailing part…_

_**Kitty and Amethyst – **Lol! You're actually some of the few to pity this one elf!_

_**Dark S3cret – **Your review really made my day and I was at a loss of words after reading it. Thank you so much_

_**jimmy-barnes-13 – **Thanks_

_**Vyndi – **What would I do without you? I'd huggle-tackle-glomp you right now, if you weren't on the other side of the globe! Thanks so much!_

_**Azrianiel – **You did some great work there and I can't say how much I appreciate your work! Thanks for taking the time and bearing with me, for correcting my mistakes and giving helpful comments!_

**Now on a totally different note… I fear you'll have to wait for a next update a little bit longer than you're accustomed to. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for Sri Lanka and will stay there for a week doing nothing but lazily sizzle in the sun and enjoy the advantages of an All Inclusive resort. But I promise that once I'm home again, you'll get your long awaited chapter! ;) **


	7. Freedom's Decoy

Chapter 7

_All sins cast long shadows so it's best to go out when it's foggy._

_- Unknown_

To say that her head hurt was an understatement that would have made her laugh, if not under these circumstances. No, it rather felt as if her brain was forced to squeeze its way out through her ears, eyes and nostrils under an enormous, invisible pressure. Sometimes she thought her skull would crack under the strain any minute and its contents would spill on the ground – sticky, squirmy fluids.

The mages had not been very regardful what concerned her mind, nor had Durza's sudden, aggressive probes been easy to defend. Easy was perhaps not the right word to use. Exhausting. Wearying. Hurting. Those were adjectives that fit the situation.

And if the first interrogation had not been so stressful already…

_How am I to keep them out once I have undergone this treatment for a week? Or a month? Or even a year?_

Was she even going to last that long Would she give away the Varden's secrets for sweet release, once this place of wrath and tears took its toll upon her?

Arya let her head drop against the dirty wall of her cell, wincing at the sharp pain tearing through her mind.

_He_ was gone now. She had seen it on his face that his king's orders had not pleased him, but he didn't dare to question Galbatorix' authority, when his liege had requested his presence-

"_I will think of you during my absence, Arya." Maroon eyes locked with her emerald ones as he uttered her name. He loved the superiority, the victory it had given him to uncover it. _

- But she hated the way he always needed to emphasize it. Like a snarl. Almost like a poisonous snake hissing before a lethal attack. A snake she would dearly love to tread upon.

He had the mages dispose of her in the cell and lock her only way to freedom. She had been too weak to revolt on the way back, with pain flashing like thunder through her body every time when her soles would accidentally touch the ground, while being dragged down gloomy corridors.

She passed out afterwards, or at least reached a state where she had been oblivious to everything around her.

When Arya had awoken again though, the scent of goulash had greeted her nostrils, and upon opening her eyes she had discovered a tray with food and water. She'd pushed away the bowl of stew, ignoring her stomach's plea to be filled, but had gratefully taken the water.

Tiny swallows at first so as to check on any poison, and then, when she hadn't found anything suspicious, she had drained half the cup in one go. It had felt good against the dry throat, and soothing to her soles as she cleansed them with the remaining water. An infection was more than likely, yes, but she would do anything in her might to delay it.

She guessed a few hours had passed since then, but the elf couldn't say for sure. The darkness was omnipresent, and since her first awakening in the cell she had not come to pass by any window or hear the guards mention some form of date.

To her surprise no one came to check up on her, or take her to interrogations, or probe her mind. The next time, be it minutes, or hours – Arya couldn't tell – passed without any inconveniences and she was slowly beginning to wonder just what kind of treatment Durza had in store for her until his return. Sensory deprivation, solitary confinement, starvation…? They were only some examples on the list.

But one thought would cling to her mind and not be shaken off: escape.

_With whatever means necessary, if it must be, but I will not wait for him to enthrall himself more in my weaknesses._

Arya couldn't say if it was pure imagination, the belief to keep the thought of freedom alive, or some other quaint happenings, but with each minute passing she felt the magic returning to her. Not in adequate amounts, of course, but grain by grain, if you wanted to compare it with an hourglass.

When the first wave of aspiration hit her and she tried to conjure light, the by now familiar pain struck between her eyes, Arya was disheartened again. She did notice a slight decline in the barricade though, but if she had her magic compared with sadgrains this was less than a dust particle and she couldn't possibly wait until the barricade literally puffed away to dust. Durza would be long back by then, and assure that the slow decrease of whatever magic-prohibiting substance he had used on her would be made up for.

She waited a little more, because waiting seemed the only action possible at the moment. And after waiting, Arya lay down, and turned and fidgeted around… and waited again.

Nobody came. Then it deemed upon her and her eyes widened. Durza! Galbatorix! Had the king found it? Had her efforts been in vain? Was Durza supposed to bring it to Uru'baen? Had it hatched – a new rider – for the Varden or the Empire? Had she even managed to transport it to Carvahall?

Since her capture Arya hadn't even dared to think of the egg's location in fear the Shade could somehow find out. She hadn't reflected on Brom, if he might have found it, or not, or the lucky passerby who might have been there at the right time. Now the oppressed musings flooded her mind, and the urge to _get out_ unleashed new energy.

Stirring up her entire willpower, Arya concentrated on a certain spell again and muttered, "…_garjzla_…"

She burst through a wall of pain and there was a sudden illumination that didn't last longer than the blink of an eye. So astonished of the results, the elf had disrupted the spell the moment the words had left her mouth. But the amount of energy this otherwise tiny effort demanded was enormous. Droplets of sweat were running down her forehead already and a mixture of joy and desperation let her breaths become short and husky.

But she didn't allow herself to question the sudden reappearance of her powers. As long as she could use magic, she would do so without pondering too much over it. But she had to calculate her efforts exactly. Her energy was meager, and her body was bereft of its strength due to Durza's torture.

Arya whispered, "_Waíse heill_," and touched her soles, feeling how the magic healed her torn flesh. She let the spell only work for a few moments, not healing the wounds entirely, but merely as much so she would be able to walk. A complete treatment would drain more power than she could give away. Pulling on the boots, which lay on the floor Arya fumbled to the cell-door.

The required words swiftly found, a streak of emerald color enclosed the door and let its inner mechanism melt away.

As soon as she was finished, Arya clutched the wall for support. Her vision was blurry; her head throbbed.

_Be strong now… be strong now and you can rest later. _

Holding her breath she listened for any sounds outside, and then all too carefully pushed at the door, praying that its hinges wouldn't croak in alarm just this one time. She managed to open it enough for her to silently slip through and upon finding herself in one of the stony corridors, Arya blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the faint torchlight.

The corridor was empty.

Now at the latest, new, uncomforting questions rose to her mind. It was _too_ easy. Her magic, no guards, no Shade… was this a trap? Was Durza observing her, letting her bathe in false hope and guiding her through a labyrinth that possessed no exits?

Arya cursed. What was she to do? Run into an open trap? Willingly go back to her cell and wait for the Shade's return to seal her fate? No. If this was a trap, you might call her a fool for not detecting it, but she would be an even bigger fool if she rejected the only chance of escape.

Taking the path to her left, Arya was one step closer to freedom…

"I don't think the master would _appreciate_ it if you left us so early…", an icy voice pierced through the silence and, as Arya turned around, face to face with one of the mages, she realized that she had just come across a dead end in Durza's labyrinth of intrigues.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Ha! **

**Ahem, anyway. I was in Sri Lanka. I also got a cold the day I arrived in Sri Lanka, so I had quite some time on my hands to write up another chapter. I hope you liked it. Well, if you liked it - or if you don't for that matter – let me know!**

**And now on to the reviews:**

_**Dark S3cret **– Lol! Thanks very much, I feel so honoured to "have rocked your socks off" like you worded it. Here is an update and hopefully another of your awsome reviews!_

_**blackrose305 **– Here is more of the story! I hope you like cliffhangers, hehe._

_**AryaSuxEragonIsMine **– Whoops, no rape or pain in this chappy, I fear. But stay with us for another while and I promise you'll get what you want to see. And about Arya falling in love with Durza. You'll see that you aren't even so wrong with that assumption…_

_**guillotine.exe **– Good to have you back, I thought I'd lost you! Final exams can be a pain I know, and I don't even want to think about all the tests and exams I should study for at the moment instead of spending my time with this…. but nevermind. Hope you'll update your own story soon, and that this chapter was to your liking!_

_**alsdssg **– I'm happy you liked the mind probing. I figured out her defences couldn't be so strong for the mages and Durza not to bypass them in any way. We would be sitting here for another 10 chapters if that were so, lol._

_**jimmy-barnes-13 **– Oh yeah, the little flashes of memory were cool. Since Arya wasn't able to keep Durza and Co out entirely, I had them see bits and pieces of memory while searching what they actually wanted, hehe._

_**Famous4it **– No worries, I wrote another chapter while in Sri Lanka (since I was ill from the fist day on, I had time…) so I hope you like this chapter aswell! Let me know!_

_**javi 815-47 **–-g- Perhaps not as much humiliation as you wanted to see in this chapter, but just wait until Durza finds out about Arya's recent activities. I assure you there's gonna be loads of humiliation then._

_**grievous dragon **– Wow, now that was a compliment! I hope I won't disappoint you. You can always review and tell me, lol._

**_Caribbean Blue 102_ **_– I like too. :D You still like?_


	8. Bad Boys

Chapter 8

_Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important.  
__They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them.  
__-T.S. Eliot_

The blood seemed to freeze in her veins and her heart suddenly beat so loud she could hear its every sound. As she turned around to meet the mage's dark brown eyes, a snarl formed on his lips.

"What foolishness do you accredit me with, elf?" he eyed her up warily, before he hissed, "Do you think I am blind to the glaring light that suddenly flared up in midst of this vast darkness when you made use of your magic?"

Arya's face was blank of emotions at his accusation, but inwardly she could have slapped herself for the carelessness she had attended her re-found powers with. She had absurdly forgotten to oppress her aura, to cloak the source of her magic into invisibility, so it would remain hidden from mindful eyes.

The man in front of her smirked as he realized she must have come to this conclusion.

"The master will not take it lightly if I was to let you go. You have the option of going back to your cell – willingly - which I doubt your senseless pride will allow, or I will have to force you back - unwillingly of course."

"I will choose neither of your options," she hadn't realized how sore her voice had become due to neglect. Speaking had never been as uncomfortable as now.

The mage smirked, "Neither? There is no third!"

Arya was silent for a moment, then took a step forward as if bending to the mage's will, before she raised one hand all of a sudden, whispering, "_Malthinae_!" and in the following instant Durza's henchman was clutching his face, cursing as the unexpected spell blinded him.

Running away and leaving the dazed opponent behind might have been a favorable option in some other dispute **– **a friendly sparring with a loyal comrade perhaps - but Arya could not risk the mage informing his two comrades or possibly even Durza.

With a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, a single word left the elf's lips to seal the man's doom. "…_jierda_…" It was spoken with instability and Arya had already turned around when she heard the mage's neck snap out of place and a last desperate gurgle emanate from his throat.

She didn't bestow another thought to her actions or their consequences, but merely kept on walking through the gloomy corridor, senses alert and one hand braced against the wall for support. This fight, even though a quick one, had not been part of her plan. It had drained more energy than she had calculated and had left her somewhat dizzy, black spots clouding her vision and the adrenaline, that had pulsed through her veins just a moment ago, was gone.

-

"And the elf?" King Galbatorix's voice had an trace of foreboding in it, making Durza choose his next words with care.

Until now the king hadn't asked him any questions about the interrogation or Arya's condition. In fact Durza had nearly been convinced that he would leave it at the continual asking about the Empire's various statistics, and here and there query about the Varden, and what progress had been made concerning their finding and disposal. Now though, his king seemed to remember about Durza's recent treasure hunt and loot.

"She will break, sire," he said, "She is strong… but even the strongest tree bends to the wind with time."

The man in front of Durza turned around, setting his heavy robes whirl about in the fluid motion, and regarded the Shade with a thoughtful look.

"Time is a curious thing, Durza. There might be plenty of it, and worries are unnecessary. Yet in the glimpse of an eye it might slip through your fingers like sand through an hourglass."

There was the slightest hint of a smile on Galbatorix's lips, but Durza could not see it develop further, as his king turned again, letting him face his back.

Something at the back of Durza's mind stirred, warning him that something was terribly wrong. The loss of the egg… it had brought its consequences with it, and the elf was not the only one who felt them. Galbatorix had been furious when he had heard the news. And he had made sure Durza would remember that. He shrugged off the unpleasant memory and concentrated on the present.

"Time sides with no one, though some seem to believe that they control it as they wish. The secret is to know how to use the time given to you." Suddenly there was anger flaring up in his king's voice. Or was it disappointment?

"While you are reporting to me, as I have bidden you, the elf is using time to her own advantage."

The Shade looked up alerted, "My liege?"

His king once more faced him, and there was something shining in his hand, as he came closer until only mere inches parted them.

Durza knew what the king had in mind, before Galabtorix set to action, and Durza also now also knew that the shining thing in the other man's hand was nothing else than a small knife. He felt a hot pain in his throat, and then there was an all-powerful pressure, crushing his entire body.

But before his mind welcomed the familiar darkness, he was able to decipher the words forming on Galbatorix's lips.

"Act quickly, Durza. Know that what is gone is gone."

* * *

**Ahem. I'm quite sorry for the really late update… but I was faced not only with a writer's block that wouldn't go away, but also with a 3-hour Latin-, 1-hour Psychology- and a 4-hour English exam. You see, there was not much time for fanfiction. I even read three books in two days (_The Black Magician Trilogy_ by Trudi Canavan, which I'm really recommanding!) which helped me understand magic better, but totally drained my brain.**

**Well, here is. Not much. Not overly good. But it's here. Credit goes to Peter S. Beagle and his _Last Unicorn_ for Galbatorix's last sentence. If you haven't realized what he's doing to Durza (well, obviously he's 'killing' him): It says that Shades don't die, if they aren't stabbed through the heart, and that they'll instead just reappear in some other place. Now for me this was the fastest method of getting Durza back to Arya. I don't know if he could just transport himself back to Gil'ead by magic, but since I'm not a fan of _'Beam me up, Scotty!'_, this is the only alternative I've found.**

**As always constructive critism, comments, or suggestion for improvement are appreciated. :D**

**And now the reviews:**

_**javi** – here you got another chapter! I fear the humiliation is having to wait until next chapter though…_

_**blackrose** – Read your story and left a review for it. I hope you'll do the same -g-_

_**elf**-**princess** – Thank you very much for your review! I hope this chapter will please you again!_

_**alsdssg** – hehe, yeah, she almost got away. We'll see what happens when Durza comes…ohoh._

_**Dark** **S3cret** – How could you possible bore me with such a flattering review? I feel honoured! And I'm glad you liked the chapter title, it took me ages to find something suitable!_

_**Azrianiel** – Yes, Sri Lanka. Though I've been sick since the first day on, so that didn't make it so fun. Still, it was great. Thanks for your work again!_

_**Qui**-**An** – Glad Arya's torture is to your liking, hehe._

_**jimmy**-**barness** – Lol, I fear this cliffhanger is not better than the last!_

_**Famous4it** – Here is the next chapter, thankies for the review!_

_**Vyndi** – ha! Great you liked this chapter! And btw, I don't know what I'd do without you :P probably I'd drown in spelling mistakes, hehe._

_**kookazoid** – Thanks for the review!_

_**AryaSuxEragonIsMine** - -gulps- I admit, I'm updating too slowly, but BLAME SCHOOL! Oh, thank god I just needed to scream it into the world. _

_**guillotine**.**exe** – Wow, I just read your second chapter, and even if I reviewed already, I want to say again that it's brilliant! I really have to bow before you. If it wasn't you, I don't think the DurzaxArya trend would have ever come to life. _

_**Flame** **Rising** – Err…okay. Well, I do accept flames, you're right. But you could at least explain why my work is so horrible, instead of reviewing each of my stories with identical reviews._

_**olive** – Thanks, olive! I'm happy to have won another reader for this story, who likes it. As you said yourself: don't like, don't read. Hope to have pleased you with this chapter aswell!_


	9. Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 9

"_If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."  
-Friedrich Nietzsche_

Durza bent over as his stomach once again cramped. The taste of vomit was still fresh in his mouth, as he eventually turned around, wiping off the remains with the sleeve of his tunic. He was trembling slightly, having to clutch to one of the cupboards for support.

Then he took in his surroundings: he was in his quarters in Gil'ead. An absent touch to his throat revealed no signs of what had happened only mere moments ago. If there was something the Shade hated more than weakness, it was this. Times when _he_ showed weakness.

He covered his mouth as his stomach dared to empty itself again.

This had been the third time the king had made use of this method to freight Durza away to places where a twist of fate was needed. But he _hated_ it. While his soul would fight against the corrupted spirits that waited to pull him into the void, his body would be forced to deal with dire consequences. It was always his stomach that revolted first. The Shade quickly recalled his meals for the past few days, and mentally prepared himself to see them again sooner or later.

Stomach troubles, though, were only a momentary ailment.

Durza let his gaze hush to the nearby situated mirror, but quickly focused on the floor again, disgusted to see himself in such a pathetic condition. His robes were stained with dirt and the former contents of his stomach. His hair, soaked with sweat, clung to his head and his face looked like dead skin had been rudely pulled over a skull, bereft of all color and translucent to his veins. Eyes, haunted and of a sickly red poked out of sockets, and his entire body was wrapped in a coat of sweat.

When he retraced his hand from the cupboard, it connected with something cold and sent it impacting with the floor, a dull, brazen clang reaching his ears. Durza detected the object and identified it as an iron collar. Plain, dirty, worn. It seemed to mirror his contemporary condition just too well.

He kicked it away with one of his iron-clad boots, angersuddenly flaring up inside his mind both at the elf, whom it had been intended for and at himself for leaving the action as a mere taunt instead of having transformed it into the humiliationhe had intended it to be.

With the thought of the elf, Durza took a deep breath and determinedly paced out of his room, iron boots clicking at his every step.

To say that the guards in frontof his door were perplexed when he suddenly thrust it open into their direction was an understatement. They were used to their master's sometimes surprising actions, but how fast could a man travel to Uru'baen and back again? Certainly it could not take only the few days the Shade had been away…or?

He ignored them, hastening his pace down the corridor, sending his mind to feel out the elf's aura in order to locate her, but was not at the least startled to fail. The elf was not so-

_-Master?_

He blinked insurprise as one of the mages' voicesechoed in his mind, but prompted his servant to continue.

_-The elf. She's… she has escaped._

_-I know._

There was a slight undertone of uncertainty in the mage's next words.

_-How do you-_

_-Where is she? _Durza cut him off sharply.

_-I don't know, master. When I arrived it was too late already. There was no sign of the elf, only… only Yermo, master. She killed him._

Durza felt a light wave of surprise overtake him, and he felt out for the dead mage to verify the trueness of the argument. What he found was darkness, and as much as he forced his mind to search for Yermo's spirit, his attempts were unsuccessful. Most certainly, the man was dead.

_- Alarm the guards. Search her. At whatever costs necessary. If she leaves the fort, your head will, too._

With that he cut the mental connection. Anger rose. Muscles tightened. He felt his magical power accumulate. Grow. It always happened when he was enraged. And Durza delighted in the thought of _her_ expression when he would unleash it upon her.

He took a sharp turn to the right finding himself in one of the corridors that led to the lower levels, where the elf had been accommodated until now. If his calculations were correct then no more than ten minutes could have passed since Galbatorix had first informed him of his captive's activities. She had certainly needed some time to dispatch of the mage, too... but the question was, how had she done it?

Magic?

_No, the inhibitory substance…,_ and even if she had somehow regained access to her magical abilities again, would they have developed so quickly as to enable her to _kill_? Had he underestimated her?

Durza proceeded down a flight of stairs, taking him to a lower level. When he reached the last step though, the Shade froze in place.

Before him, leaning against the wall just a moment ago, stood the elf, who was just as surprised to see him as he was to find her so easily. For a moment Durza thought she had stopped breathing altogether, so perfect was her stillness. He extricated himself from the momentary shock first and regarded his soon-to-be-again captive with a vindictive feeling at the back of his mind.

The mocking smirk that had begun to form on his lips was suddenly gone again, as Durza felt her scrutinize him with visible disgust. It was not the repulsion she normally behaved with towards him, but rather an abhorrence directed at his sickly appearance.

There was a turmoil of emotions going through him, but anger, wrath and irritation outdid one another until Durza could not subdue the frenzied thoughts anymore. What was she _thinking_? She couldn't _know_ how much pain he had went through just to be here! She wasn't able to _imagine_! Disgusted of the exertions he had undergone, who was she thinking she _was_ to judge his efforts?

Suddenly his face was bereft of all emotions except one: hate. Plain, primitivehate.

With no further premonition the air around him warmed and concentrated into an energy sphere in frontof him. The only movement he accompanied it with were his eyes widening with lust as it shot towards the elf in the following instant.

To his astonishm- his _enragement_ the sphere shatteredinches before it reached its target. The elf had pulled up a shield moments before his attack could have damaged her. She had proppedherself against the wall in order to keep the shield's ball-shaped surface as small as possible, with feet and back being protected by the wall and ground.

Anger nagged at his rational thinking when he realized how much magical energy she had retained in his absence. His sharp fingernails unconsciouslydug into his palms as the Shade clenched his fists.

He took a step ahead, definite that _he_, Durza, the king's right hand man, would not succumb to some weakened elven messenger. She might have been able to save the egg, but no one had the power to escape hell once its gates were closed.

"_Brisingr_!", he cried and watched as a ball of fire engulfed his prisoner. For a few moments Durza could not see through the wall of flames, but then his keen ears picked up murmured words from behind the burning barricade, but he could not decipher them.

Soon enough, though, he realized what the elf had had in mind as stones started to detach themselves from the ceiling and came crashing down into his direction with immense speed. In order to protect himself from the upcoming impact, Durza had to retract the energy he had put into the attack and direct it into his own shield.

When the heavy load collided with his shield he was forced to bend beneath it and freeze in place until the stones' wrath ebbed away. As he opened his eyes again, he found himself confined in a solid cage of darkness. Durza expanded his shield in order to push the stones away and eventually regained freedom again. It was then when he realized that freedom always demanded a price:

The elf was gone.

* * *

**Dum…dum…dum… CLIFFHANGER!**

**I'm becoming rather fond of ending chapters in the middle of the action, hehe. I hope I managed the fight scene somewhat well (even if it was short). And excuse the lack of Arya-ness in this chapter, but I felt like I needed to give more insight in Durza's thoughts. Poor thing won't know what hit her when this angry Shade finds her again…**

**Thanks to all who stepped up against Flame Rising, by the way. But since we all know that such people are better ignored than worried about, let's bring an end to this too.**

**Now… suggestions, critism, wishes? (Apart from whips and rape, that'll come too eventually :P)**

**The reviews!**

_**guillotine** – Poor, poor Arya… I guess you'll have to wait another chapter to find out what happens to her, when Durza finally gets her! And don't worry about that Flamer-guy, nobody is taking him serious anyway._

_**javi** – Ah! Don't hit me for not putting whips in this chapter! I have them stored up for later, really!_

_**Famous4it** – I'm sorry about the rather long update times. I'm trying to improve…_

_**LeiaSedai** – Oh a confrontation with Galbatorix…I'll have to think about it----_

_**Liz** – Wow! Thank you very much!_

_**Du**.**Sundavar**.**Brisingr** – It's coming, it's coming, I promise. This story won't come to an end without rape!_

_**alsdssg** – Thanks!_

_**blackrose305** – Here is another update!_

_**Durloth** – Thanks very much, and Happy Grüße aus Österreich! Btw, deine DurzaxArya story is ganz toll! Update soon?_

_**DarkS3cret** – Don't worry too much about this Flame-guy. He flames because he can. But frankly, flaming seems the only thing he's capable of._

_**jimmy** – And another cliffhanger! Becoming rather fond of them…_

_**Shiro** – Lol! So many rants about that Flamer! But nevermind; about the killing Durza scene. I thought about the over dramatic touch it would bring along, but I like it more than just having him beam himself over to Gil'ead again. And getting him there on horseback would have given Arya too much time to escape…_

**_Kyoitsukikageryuu_**_ – Thanks very mcuh!_

_**twistedfire** – I'm sorry for those slow updates. Blame Real Life._


	10. The Winner Takes It All

Chapter 10

_The path behind me _unknown  
_The path ahead _uncertain  
_To return to what I _left behind  
_I am _unable  
_To remain here _unthinkable  
_Thus I travel on _unstoppable  
In Hope  
_-Unknown_

He had once been told that if you ran away from destiny, it would inevitably catch up with you sooner or later.

Someone had once told him that destiny, be it for good or ill, could not be changed. Delayed, yes, but not avoided.

But he kept telling himself, that it was choice – not chance – that determined destiny.

For the first time in his life, he wished that _he_ was wrong. If one could alter destiny to his or her wishes, then _she_ might be able to outsmart doom.

_No_.

-

As soon as he had managed to free himself of the mass of stones upon him, Durza heeded into the direction the elf had run off into. Currently he could not think of anything, could not think at all, so plagued were his thoughts by the madness that had overtaken him.

The fact that she did not know where she was going was probably to his advantage. Certainly, she searched for a way leading to freedom, but Gil'ead's fortress had many paths leading into icy cells and only very few that disembouged into liberation.

The Shade opened his mind and felt out for any nearby presence. He was aware of the fact that the elf would know to shield her aura, but her powers could not be abundant anymore. _They shouldn't have been_, his mind noted_, ever_. How long could one exploit the pool of energy before it dried out?

Durza banished the thought and concentrated on the elf's aura again. He searched the corridor before him and the paths leading away from it. Up until now his efforts had proved useless and he had stumbled blindly in the darkness.

But then, all of a sudden, something flickered in the blackness. Not more than an instant and barely visible, but it had been there.

Durza stopped in his tracks, gathering his entire might and willed to see the flicker again. For a time he was surrounded by darkness, and a part of his mind told him that the elf had realized her fault and reversed it. As he was about to turn his back, the illumination was there again, now even clearer than before!

The elf was losing control of her powers, or had finally reached her limits.

Knowing that this might be his only chance to prevent her advancement, the Shade put all his rage, and anger – and fear? – together into a great assail, which he sent into her direction. Emotions, so he had been taught, were the most intense of all methods to probe a mind. The victim, if it came to an unsuccessful deflect of the blow, would be exposed to a whole range of alien feelings that impacted on his or her own thoughts, and sometimes distorted opinions and beliefs beyond saving.

As his attack found the elf, he both saw a massive brightness and heard an aggravated moan from up ahead the corridor. Not wasting another moment, Durza broke into a run.

And truly, after he had rounded two corners he found her leaning heavily against a wall, holding her head as if to prevent it from bursting. She barely seemed to notice his presence. Only when his iron boots started clicking when he approached her, she raised her head and became aware of the doom she hadn't been able to escape.

But when their eyes met, he thought to recognize the faint shine of arrogance in those emerald depths and it was, literally, the last straw.

How could she look upon him like that, after he had been so generous to her? He had kept the torture sessions to reasonable limits, instead of conducting them permanently had called three of his most powerful and gifted novices, so the mind probe would be as accurate as possible, without messing up her entire memories and thoughts through wrongful sizing of powers had even forbid his servants to lay hand upon her during his absence to prevent her from withdrawing even more into the arcane depths of her mind - and she was thanking his efforts with _arrogance_?

Without another warning or concern for the consequences, he sent such a powerful attack her way, which she would impossibly be able to block. It broke through her already weakened shield like a hot knife through butter.

He nearly lost sight of the elf, as the sheer amounts of energy concealed her fragile form. When she appeared again, she was not standing anymore. Having collapsed against the wall she observed him through narrow eyes, and was doing her best to ban the pain from her expression.

He could feel how she tried to accumulate the rest of her powers into a shield, but not even that she managed. He took another step towards her, but stopped as she hissed, "_No_."

Durza could not say whether she meant for him not to approach further, or to stop altogether, but before he could think of any other possibilities, the elf continued. "You shall not succeed. My people have outlived far worse than a Shade, and their secrets shall not be unveiled now, or in the future. Neither shall the Varden's."

For a split second he froze into place, surprised by his captive's words and the tone she had uttered them in. He had heard determination, pride and repulsion against himself. It was the latter that urged Durza to send his boot connecting with her body. He savoured the sound as bones cracked.

"_Just_ a Shade?" he asked her, seething and continued to kick at the figure beneath him. She tried to lash out at him once, but it only cost her another kick. "One Shade will be enough to break you, and if you have to rot in a cell for eternity!"

He felt a weak attempt to circumvent his mental barriers – _crack_, as his boot connected with her again.

"I will learn of the egg's location and once I find it, I will take you to Galbatorix himself to witness how the egg is returned to his rightful master."

She let out a moan and curled up into a ball to prevent the worst of damage.

"If every broken bone will unlock you a secret, then I shall break every single one myself! Shall it need a thousand mages to drive you mad, I will gather tens of thousands!"

His boots were bloody.

"Tell me! Are all elves such cowards as yourself, or are you an exeption?" He bent down and grabbed her by her collar, pulling her to her feet only to stare into a distorted face. He would remember the look in her eyes until eternity passed, when he asked her again, "Would have Faolin and Glenwing run away too, if they had still been able to?"

He let her fall to the ground again, not even noticing that she was barely conscious anymore. "I think they would have. I could see it in their eyes. Their fear. Just as I see it in yours…-"

Crack.

"…- I'll stab them out if it will make you speak!"

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

_Cra_-

"Master?"

He stood motionless for a moment, then turned around to face one of the mages, who had appeared behind him, with three guards in tow. The expression on the mage's face was unrecognisable to some extent, but he could still see the disturbance in his eyes as he caught sight of Durza's work.

Only now did the Shade himself look upon the elf too, and what he saw disgusted him. Before him lay but a pulp of blood and dirt and bones that stood out in awkward directions. Her face was barely distinguishable, and her shoulder poked out in an unnatural way. Vomit was spread across the floor, mingled with blood and dirt.

The mage behind him broke the uncomfortable silence by taking a step to the side, but it was enough to catch Durza's attention.

"Bring her to her cell." As the guards started moving, he took another look at the elf, and then the mage and added, "Look to her injuries before she wakes. If there is anything life threatening, heal it. Leave her to deal with the rest herself."

The Shade was already turning on his heels, when he remembered something very important. "And send whoever was responsible for applying the magic-inhibitory substance to me. I will be in my quarters."

* * *

**First things first. Don't hit me! I know I needed awfully long to update, and I'll stand to my faults so no need to punish me!**

**Next subject: Tell me your thoughts. Especially for this chapter my opinions are split. Part of me thinks that it's a piece of crap, while the rest of me thinks it's acceptable. I need help in deciding with which part to agree!**

**Number three on the list would be the reviews:**

_**Vyndi** - huggles and kisses Can't thank you enough for all the work you've put into this! Your thoughts and comments really helped me a great deal!_

_**twistedfire** – That's something I like to hear! I hope you liked this chapter too!_

_**alsdssg** – Yeah, the definition ballistic pretty much describes Durza's mood in this chapter!_

_**Dark** **S3cret** – I definitely don't see Durza so all messed up like he's shown in the movie. That was like… a zombie, and those belong to Resident Evil and Co. not to Eragon. I don't really know exactly how I see him, it's more like a fuzzy image when I try imagining things. But I'd rather compare him to a drug addict on withdrawal than to a zombie, lol!_

_**Javi** – Whips, huh? Your wish comes true right after this review-section. Go ahead!_

_**Du**.**Sundavar**.**Brsinigr** – Skip to the bottom, hun, and tell me how you want to see Arya suffer!_

_**Jimmy** – Whips and other fun stuff coming right up in the next chapter!_

_**Olive** – Why thank you for the compliments! Here is more and some cookies too!_

_**Durloth** – Es tut in der Tat gut mal dazwischen Deutsch zu sprechen, aber irgendiw könnt ich mir Geschichten schreiben in Deutsch schon gar nicht mehr vorstellen! Sobald ich anfange fanfics zu schreiben oder sonstwelchen Tätigkeiten im Net nachgehe schaltet sich bei mir automatisch English ein. Da bewundere ich dich tatsächlich für deine deutsche Durza/Arya Geschichte! It rocks my sox off!_

_**yellowdog** – Update times, I know… you'll want to kill me for this lame excuse but Real Life is sometimes getting in the way. And writer's block seems to like me too…_

_**LeiaSedai** – Yes, will I follow the book or won't I? Oh, the choices the choices! Only way to find out is to stick around and read the story I guess!_

_**guillotine** – No for god's sake, I can't kill you with the cliffhangers! Who would update your story then:P_

_**ThorneofDarkness** – Rape. A Yes to that. But it won't be the end of the story, more like….in the second half, hehehe._

**And now comes that what you've all waited for:**

TORTURE

**Since you've all been so patient with me and the lack of torture, this shall not go unrewarded. For the next chapter YOU can choose Arya's fate!**

**-Plain old whips: You know the drill, but it's still exiting!**

**-Rack her, she's deserved it!**

**-The mind-thingy, it's all about the mind-thingy!**

**-Something I haven't mentioned. Be creative!**

**-Huh?! I thought this was Harry Potter!**


	11. Resistance

**My most sincere apologies for not updating faster. I've been faced with massive writers block and decided to leave the story be for a while until my muse returned. Well, I guess the time has come. **

**Just to warn you: this chapter is not beta read, or anything else. It's just…right out of my mind.**

* * *

Chapter 11

_And all my days are trances,  
__And all my nightly dreams,  
__Are where thy dark eye glances,  
__And where thy footstep gleams –  
__In what ethereal dances,  
__By what eternal streams._

In the state of illusion, caught in a world of pain and intrigues her only hideout was to retreat in her thoughts and leave the physical world as much as she could behind. She used this time to repair the barriers of her mind. If her body would fail to withstand the tortures charged upon her, then at least her mind had to keep the enemy at bay. For the sake of all…

As she was so isolated in her own self, Arya became more aware of what was going on around her. Not whether the air was cold or warm, or whether the sun smiled down upon the world, but every mental connection that brushed her own aura would not go unnoticed.

And it was in these hours –days?- that her mind was approached directly once more. Though with the small difference that the intruder was not Durza. She could not tell who it was, but instead of spreading discomfort and uneasyness, it was very careful in its approach, almost as if it was deliberate not to harm her in its coming.

The presence was alien, yet still in some way familiar, though she could not discern where she knew it from. The moment she would try to concentrate on it harder, it would be gone as quickly as it had come, leaving her with the impression that this was only, like most things nowadays, an illusion.

…

Or…

…Faolin?

-

"I had to heal two of her ribs; they were dangerously near to her lungs. One wrong movement and they could have been pierced. I interpreted the danger as too high as to let them remain like they were."

"You did well." Durza answered, though most of his attention was directed to the scene before him. The cook, who had been responsible for the elf's food, and thus also for her 'poisoning' was the real source for everyone's tense moods. Only because of him did the prisoner manage to escape her cell in the first place. Now, he was facing the consequences.

_I did not know, master!_ he'd begged for mercy, but Durza had shown none. It was a commonly known fact, that elves avoid meat; and this one elf seemed to be in a good enough state yet, to choose hunger before breaking the traditions of her people. Of course she couldn't have been administered the inhibitor that way!

"Because I feared she could suffocate I thought it better to see to her nose too. It sustained a lot of damage."

Understandable.

He didn't want to dwell on that matter anymore, though. The elf had questioned his authority and he had given her an answer. Finally turning his back on the screaming man, Durza turned his attention to the mage behind him. He was a man hailing from somewhere south of Uru'baen, judging by his accent. Durza couldn't remember the name of the town, but he wasn't trying very hard either. It was of no importance.

"When is the next torture session sheduled?"

The mage seemed quite surprised by that question, "The next… you have not ordered anything yet, master… but considering her current state, I'd say-"

"- then bring her now."

This perplexed the mage visibly, as his features betrayed him, but nonetheless he nodded his head quickly and with a short bow turned around on his heels.

-

"Where is the egg?"

He couldn't remember just how often he had repeated the question, but its answer was always the same. Silence. Apart from the occasional moan and scream, when the whips bit into her flesh, the elf had not yet said a word.

"He, that can have patience, can have what he will. And I'm inclined to say, dear elf, that patience is not a skill I am lacking of. You will not see the sun again until I have my answer, and will learn that idocity -- which is often so foolishly refered to as courage and bravery – will condemn you to an eternity of pain and misery, but nothing more."

She was dangerously near of slipping into unconsciousness, but he wanted her here, very much alive and even more aware of her situation. Nodding towards one of the men in the room, he watched as a bucket of icy water, spiced with a good amount of salt was thrown at the captive, instantly bolting her awake and screaming in pain.

"As I've told you before," he continued, ignorant of her pained condition, "arrogance will get you nowhere."

"No, no it won't…"

The answer surprised him as much as her for speaking the words out loud. He couldn't guess whether her retort meant that he had succeeded in breaking her, or if she – whereever from – had retained her haughtiness.

"So you haven't swallowed your tongue yet… mayhaps you have rid of your pride then?"

There was no answer this time, not even a twitch that indicated she had even heard him speak. Though she was awake, he could see that.

"Where is the egg?"

_Tell me._

A set of yellow teeth was revealed as he realized that he had successfully attacked her mind. Despite of the happenings the day before, Durza dared to say that he was in a good mood; though probably that wasn't so good for the elf.

He wasn't really expecting to stake any achievements in this session, he was merely enjoying himself, and that enjoyment reached new heights when he realized that her defences were slipping. Both physically as well as mentally. The beating from the day before – though not part of his initial plans – had weakened her immensely.

He probed her mind again, and for the first time didn't confront any defences. Durza was so perplexed himself, that for a moment he just stood and observed, wondering if it was the same elf he was dealing with.

Different memories floated around, each open and available for him to observe. Something at the back of his mind warned him, but the Shade was too engulfed in what he saw.

_They were sitting atop of a hill, him and her, lying in the arms of eachother in protection against the cold night breeze. The moon was high and shining brightly, soaking the scene into an idyllic counterplay of light and shadow._

_She had her head perched against his shoulder, watching the stars' eternal dance above. "I fear for it, Faolin. Ever since it has been trusted on me, not a moment passes, when the thought of failing doesn't occupy my mind."_

_He remained silent, though his hand softly carrassed her own._

"_I don't want to be held responsible for shattering a dream. For ending the life of so many innocent. I don't think I could ever wash all the blood from my hands."_

_There was silence again, before he softly replied, "What we cling on to is hope. A man's dreams may be shattered, and his life ended. But there will always be those, who hope that the man's actions have not been for nothing. It is the only motivation we have to go on as we do. Do not let this flicker go out."_

And he knew, as he drew back from her mind, that she was not going to tell him a word about where the egg was.

* * *

**And that's it guys.**

**Again I'm sorry, that I won't respond to any reviews this time, but I simply don't have the time to do so, and I guess you all wanted a chapter up more quickly, than waiting another while until I reviewed all reviews. Next time, promise!**


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